GENEVA, N.Y.—The Hobart College football team won its first ever NCAA Division III Tournament game in convincing fashion, shutting out visiting Bridgewater State College, 25-0. The Statesmen will play Widener University-a 33-26 winner over Union College-on Sat., Nov. 25, at noon.
The Statesmen (9-1) were led by senior running back Keith Brandon (Northfield-Mt. Hermon/Jamaica, N.Y.) who rushed for 162 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries, while wideout Andy Pirozzolo (Elmira Free Academy/Elmira, N.Y.) caught a game-high seven passes for 89 yards and two touchdowns.
"I think our defense played real well," Bridgewater State Head Coach Peter Mazzaferro said. "I think they just wore us down."
The Hobart defense terrorized the Bridgewater State quarterback, recording a season-high 10 sacks. Senior defensive end Rob Gould (Western Reserve/East Aurora, N.Y.) led the charge with 11 tackles, including two sacks, while senior tackle Rich Barlette (Wyoming Seminary/Latham, N.Y.) was close behind with 10 tackles, including 1.5 sacks. Sophomore linebacker Tim Booth (Waterloo/Waterloo, N.Y.) accounted for all three of his tackles with a game-high 2.5 sacks.
"[Bridgewater State is] a really good team with very good coaches, but I think we were bigger and stronger and we just wore them down," Hobart Head Coach Mike Cragg said.
The Bears (8-3) controlled the flow of the game in the opening half, holding a 17:44-12:16 advantage in time of possession and an average starting field position of their own 37-yard line, but the Hobart defense bent without breaking.
Bridgewater State's most promising drive proved to its opener. The Bears drove from their own 28 to the Hobart 41, where the drive appeared to stall. The Statesmen gave BSC new life with a roughing the kicker penalty. Bridgewater St. drove to the Hobart 19, before senior defensive back Eric Newsome (Albion/Albion, N.Y.) ended the threat with an interception at the 3-yard line returned to the 29.
The Bears had the only other scoring opportunity of the first half sail wide right, missing a 29-yard field goal with 36 seconds remaining in the opening half.
In the third quarter, both offenses continued to sputter, but Hobart began to show signs of improvement. The Statesmen controlled the ball for 10:05 and drove deep into Bridgewater State territory, but a lost a fumble on an option at the Bears' 29-yard line. In the end it was the Hobart defense that broke the scoring drought.
Four plays after Hobart's fumble, the Bears botched an option of their own. Sophomore linebacker Everton McLean (Bishop Maginn/Albany, N.Y.) scooped up the loose ball and streaked 32 yards untouched for the afternoon's first score with 10 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
On Bridgewater State's ensuing possession, junior linebacker Jesse Aquilino (Fox Lane/Bedford, N.Y.) chased down the Bears' junior signal caller Patrick Callahan (Middleboro, Mass.), sacked him for a 10-yard loss and knocked the ball loose. Hobart recovered and four plays later took a 12-0 lead on an 11-yard hook up between Pirozzolo and senior quarterback Dan Birdsall (Southampton/Water Mill, N.Y.). Birdsall finished 11-of-23 for 117 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
The Statesmen posted touchdowns on each of their next two possessions, a 46-yard run by Brandon and another 11-yard strike from Birdsall to Pirozzolo to put the program's first NCAA Tournament game into the books as a victory.
Bridgewater State got 69 yards rushing from senior Seto Berry (Hanson, Mass.), while sophomore linebacker Michael Higgins (Auburn, Mass.) led the defense with 11 tackles.
Hobart finished with 324 yards of total offense, including 207 yards on the ground--180 of which came in the second half.
"The offensive line started to realize what [the Bridgewater defense] was doing," Brandon said referring to Hobart's running success in the second half. "In the second half, [the offensive line] got into them quicker. I just followed them."
Newsome, one of four team captains, was especially proud of performance of the defensive unit that limited the Bears to just 73 yards of total offense, including just 19 through the air.
"Our team defense is really stronger than what any individual can do, and that really came out today," Newsome said.
